The present invention relates to locking means for bicycles, motorcycles, and the like, and more specifically to an armored locking cable which is resistant to most hacksaws and bolt cutters.
Conventional bicycle locking cables are usually secured by aluminum swaged fittings at their ends. Since aluminum is a relatively soft metal, a long-handled bolt cutter with jaws of a harder metal can often employ sufficient leverage to sever the fittings even if the cable is made of steel and is sufficiently resistant. The cable, however, is typically either not sheathed or is sheathed with a soft, flexible plastic which protects only against corrosion. If bolt cutters do not work on the fittings, a hacksaw will usually sever the cable, particularly if it can attack the cable strand by strand. Cable cutters can likewise be used if the diameter of the cable is small enough.
In addition to soft fittings and unsheathed cable, a third common problem with cable assemblies is their lack of flexibility. Since a solid cable of sufficient diameter would hardly bend at all, stranded cable is typically used. Bending a stranded cable tends to stretch the strand sections on the outside of the bend and create a restoring force which straightens the cable unless it is confined, such as in a box. This poses a storage problem, especially during travel on the cycle. Even then, the whipping end of a suddenly released coil of cable can be dangerous. A simple security procedure can become a wrestling match with the cable.
Many conventional cables do not allow the purchaser a choice of locks, but rather come with a built-in combination lock comprising three or four digit wheels, i.e., one thousand or ten thousand possible combinations. These can be easily tested by a patient thief.
Accordingly, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide a cycle locking cable with a sheath of a hardness and a diameter which will protect the cable from cutters.
It is a further object of this invention to provide hardened fittings which are reistant to bolt cutters for the ends of a cycle locking cable.
It is still a further object of this invention to make a cycle locking cable easier to handle and to store.
It is yet another object of this invention to give the user a choice of locks, including the option of using a key lock instead of a combination lock.